Numerals

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Cardinal Numbers

Traditionally Gaelic used a vigesimal counting system. This means that it is based in 20s (equivalent to the old numbers in English based on "Score"). Within this system there are several different variants for counting larger complex numbers.

A more modern decimal (10 based system) has been introduced and is taught in schools, but isn't favored by many native speakers. These are the forms that end in -ead or -ad.


When used to list phone numbers or count objects without naming them

Formally, when counting or listing phone numbers, each number is prefixed with the particle aH (a h-aonan, a dha, a tri, a ceithir, a còig, a sia, a seachd, a h-ochd, a naoi, a deich, etc.) But this particle is rarely used anymore by speakers. Lamb (2003) reports that the particle is only really used on the Radio. The particle does, however appear as the last part of complex numbers such as ceithir fichead 's a tri (83)


0 to 19

Number Gaelic Number Gaelic
0 neodi 10 deich
1 aonan/aona 11 aon deug
2 dhà 12 dà dheug
3 tri 13 tri deug
4 ceithir 14 ceithir deug
5 còig 15 còig deug
6 sia 16 sia deug
7 seachd 17 seachd deug
8 ochd 18 ochd deug
9 naoi 19 naoi deug


20-29, 40-49, 60-69, 80-89

Number Gaelic Number Gaelic Number Gaelic Number Gaelic
20
  • Fichead
40
  • dà fhichead
  • ceathrad
60
  • trì fichead
  • seasgad
80
  • ceithir fichead
  • ochdad
21
  • fichead 's a h-aon
  • aon air fhichead
  • aon thar fhichead
41
  • dà fhichead 's a h-aon
  • ceathrad 's a h-aon
61
  • trì fichead 's a h-aon
  • seasgad 's a h-aon
81
  • ceithir fichead 's a h-aon
  • ochdad 's a h-aon
22
  • fichead 's a dhà
  • dà air fhichead
  • dà thar fhichead
42
  • dà fhichead 's a dhà
  • ceathrad 's a dhà
62
  • trì fichead 's a dhà
  • seasgad 's a dhà
82
  • ceithir fichead 's a dhà
  • ochdad 's a dhà
23
  • fichead 's a trì
  • trì air fhichead
  • trì thar fhichead
43
  • dà fhichead 's a trì
  • ceathrad 's a trì
63
  • trì fichead 's a trì
  • seasgad 's a trì
83
  • ceithir fichead 's a trì
  • ochdad 's a trì
24
  • fichead 's a ceithir
  • ceithir air fhichead
  • ceithir thar fhichead
44
  • dà fhichead 's a ceithir
  • ceathrad 's a ceithir
64
  • tri fichead 's a ceithir
  • seasgad 's a ceithir
84
  • ceithir fichead 's a ceithir
  • ochdad 's a ceithir
25
  • fichead 's a còig
  • còig air fhichead
  • còig thar fhichead
45
  • dà fhichead 's a còig
  • ceathrad 's a còig
65
  • trì fichead 's a còig
  • seasgad 's a còig
85
  • ceithir fichead 's a còig
  • ochdad 's a còig
26
  • fichead 's a sia
  • sia air fhichead
  • sai thar fhichead
46
  • dà fhichead 's a sia
  • ceathrad 's a sia
66 trì fichead 's a sia
seasgad 's a sia
86 ceithir fichead 's a sia
ochdad 's a sia
27 fichead 's a seachd
seachd air fhichead
seachd thar fhichead
47 dà fhichead 's a seachd
ceathrad 's a sia
67 trì fichead 's a seachd
seasgad 's a sia
87 ceithir fichead 's a seachd
ochdad 's a sia
28 fichead 's a h-ochd
ochd air fhichead
ochd thar fhichead
48 dà fhichead 's a h-ochd
ceathrad 's a h-ochd
68 trì fichead 's a h-ochd
seasgad 's a h-ochd
88 ceithir fichead 's a h-ochd
ochdad 's a h-ochd
29 fichead 's a naoi
naoi air fhichead
naoi thar fhichead
49 dà fhichead 's a naoi
ceathrad 's a naoi
69 trì fichead 's a naoi
seasgad 's a naoi
89 ceithir fichead 's a naoi
ochdad 's a naoi


30-39, 50-59, 70-79, 90-99

Number Gaelic Number Gaelic Number Gaelic Number Gaelic
30
  • deich air fhichead
  • fichead 's a deich
  • trithead
50
  • dà fhichead 's a deich
  • leth-cheud
  • caogad
70
  • trì fichead 's a deich
  • seachdad
90
  • ceithir fichead 's a deich
  • naochad
31
  • aon deug air fhichead
  • aon deug thar fhichead
  • fichead 's a h-aon deug
  • trithead 's a h-aon
51
  • dà fhichead 's a h-aon deug
  • leth-cheud 's a h-aon
  • caogad 's a h-aon
71
  • trì fichead 's a h-aon deug
  • seachdad 's a h-aon
91
  • ceithir fichead 's a h-aon deug
  • naochad 's a h-aon
32
  • dà dheug air fhichead
  • dà dheug thar fhichead
  • fichead 's a dà dheug
  • trithead 's a dha
52
  • dà fhichead 's a dà dheug
  • leth-cheud 's a dhà
  • caogad 's a dhà
72
  • trì fichead 's a dà dheug
  • seachdad 's a dhà
92
  • ceithir fichead 's a dà dheug
  • naochad 's a dhà
33
  • trì deug air fhichead
  • trì deug thar fhichead
  • fichead 's a trì deug
  • trithead 's a trì
53
  • dà fhichead 's a trì deug
  • leth-cheud 's a trì
  • caogad 's a trì
73
  • trì fichead 's a trì deug
  • seachdad 's a trì
93
  • ceithir fichead 's a trì deug
  • naochad 's a trì
34
  • ceithir deug air fhichead
  • ceithir deug thar fhichead
  • fichead 's a ceithir deug
  • trithead 's a ceithir
54
  • dà fhichead 's a ceithir deug
  • leth-cheud 's a ceithir
  • caogad 's a ceithir
74
  • trì fichead 's a ceithir deug
  • seachdad 's a ceithir
94
  • ceithir fichead 's a ceithir deug
  • naochad 's a ceithir
35
  • còig deug air fhichead
  • còig deug thar fhichead
  • fichead 's a còig deug
  • trithead 's a còig
55
  • dà fhichead 's a còig deug
  • leth-cheud 's a còig
  • caogad 's a còig
75
  • trì fichead 's a còig deug
  • seachdad 's a còig
95
  • ceithir fichead 's a còig deug
  • naochad 's a còig
36
  • sia deug air fhichead
  • sia deug thar fhichead
  • fichead 's a sia deug
  • trithead 's a sia
56
  • dà fhichead 's a sia deug
  • leth-cheud 's a sia
  • caogad 's a sia
76
  • trì fichead 's a sia deug
  • seachdad 's a sia
96
  • ceithir fichead 's a sia deug
  • naochad 's a sia
37
  • seachd deug air fhichead
  • seachd deug thar fhichead
  • fichead 's a seachd deug
  • trithead 's a seachd
57
  • dà fhichead 's a seachd deug
  • leth-cheud 's a seachd
  • caogad 's a seachd
77
  • trì fichead 's a seachd deug
  • seachdad 's a seachd
97
  • ceithir fichead 's a seachd deug
  • naochad 's a seachd
38
  • ochd deug air fhichead
  • ochd deug thar fhichead
  • fhichead 's a h-ochd deug
  • trithead 's a h-ochd
58
  • dà fhichead 's a h-ochd deug
  • leth-cheud 's a h-ochd
  • caogad 's a h-ochd
78
  • trì fichead 's a h-ochd deug
  • seachdad 's a h-ochd
98
  • ceithir fichead 's a h-ochd deug
  • naochad 's a h-ochd
39
  • naoi deug air fhichead
  • naoi deug thar fhichead
  • fhichead 's a naoi deug
  • trithead 's a naoi
59
  • dà fhichead 's a naoi deug
  • leth-cheud 's a naoi
  • caogad 's a naoi
79
  • tri fichead 's a naoi deug
  • seachdad 's a naoi
99
  • ceithir fichead 's a naoi deug
  • naochad 's a naoi

100+

  • 100 ceud
  • 120 sia fichead
  • 140 seachd fichead
  • 150
  • 160 ochd fichead
  • 180 naoi fichead
  • 1000 mile
  • 1999 naoi ceud deug ceithir fichead 's a naoi deug
  • 2000 dà mhile
  • 2002 dà mhile 's a dhà
  • 6693 sia mile sia ceud ceithir fichead 's a tri deug
  • 1,000,000 millean


Important note about large numbers

Lamb (2003) based on research by Macaulay (1982) reports that for many speakers, large numbers, especially those that fall between the "scores" (120, 140 etc), are avoided and they will code switch to English.


When used with a noun

1 to 10

English Gaelic Takes Example
1 aonL singular aon chat
2 dhàL/dàL dà chat
3 tri1 plural tri cait
4 ceithir ceithir cait
5 còig còig cait
6 sia sia cait
7 seachd seachd cait
8 ochd ocht cait
9 naoi naoi cait
10 deich deich cait

1In some dialects 3-5 also lenite the following noun.

11 to 19

English Gaelic Takes Example
11 aonL X deug singular aon chat deug
12 L X deug dà chat deug
13 tri X deug plural tri cait deug
14 ceithir X deug ceithir cait deug
15 còig X deug còig cait deug
16 sia X deug sia cait deug
17 seachd X deug seachd cait deug
18 ochd X deug ocht cait deug
19 naoi X deug naoi cait deug

Distributive Numbers

e.g. pair, dozen

Distributive Numbers for non-humans

Distributive Numbers for humans

Number Gaelic
1 aonan/aonar/aon fear (m)
2 dithis/dithist (f)
3 triùir (f)
4 ceathrar (m)
5 còignear (m)
6 sianar (m)
7 seachdnar/seachdar (m)
8 ochdnar/ochdar (m)
9 naoinear (m)
10 deichnear/deineir (m)

Lamb: numbers over 1 take genitive case. dithis fhear

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers describe a position in a series of objects. In English these are numbers like first second, third

Number Gaelic Number Gaelic
first a' chiad eleventh
second
  • an darna
  • a dara
twelfth
third
  • an treas
  • an trìtheamh
  • an treasamh
thirteenth
fourth an ceathramh fourteenth
fifth an còigeamh fifteenth
sixth an siathamh1 sixteenth
seventh an seachdamh1 seventeenth
eighth an t-ochdamh eighteenth
ninth an naoidheamh nineteenth

1. For some speakers these nouns are feminine and show up as an t-seachdamh and an t-siathamh, especially before other nouns


  • an deicheamh 'tenth'
  • am ficheadamh 'twentieth'


Other Numbers

Multiplicative Numbers

represents repetition (once, twice, thrice)


Partitive Numbers

expresses a fraction (half, quarter, third)

  • leth 'half'


Integrative-Cumulative Numbers

refer to something made up for several parts single, double, triple


External Links

References

  • Fisher, Muriel (2004) Scottish Gaelic: Level 1. Seattle: Each-Mara Publications
  • Lamb, William (2003) Scottish Gaelic. Munich: Lincom Europa.
  • Macaulay, Donald (1982) Aspects of register range and choice in Scottish Gaelic. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 35:25-48.
  • Robertson, Boyd and Ian MacDonald (2004) Gaelic Dictionary. Teach Yourself books.